Utah Heritage Foundation

SAVE THESE DATES!

Our featured summer tour this year will be the Utah Theatre. Second Saturdays in June-August (June 9, July 14, August 11) from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Admission is free. Hope to see you at this amazing theater awaiting restoration in the proposed downtown cultural core.

UPDATE June 18, 2011

There are still 500-600 seats remaining that are in good condition.  These are an American Seating chair with a curved birch back, and a thick leather padded seat.  The art deco end standards were reused in the Ogden High rehab, so whoever wants the chairs would have to buy new aisle standards from American or reuse what they had in their facility.

Please contact Dan Pratt, Vice President, Building Division of Hughes General Contractors at (801) 292-1411 or dan@hughesgc.com.

Ogden High School auditorium seats are seeking a good home.  They would prefer another historic auditorium, but a non-profit, historic theater would be a great second choice as well.

As you may know, Ogden High School is currently undergoing an $65 million restoration, so any organization that can purchase these historic seats will have first preference and should make their desire known immediately.  Should a fledgling non-profit or school that is otherwise in the midst of restoring a historic theater or auditorium space and could use donated seats, the Ogden School District and Foundation will look at your proposals on a case-by-case basis.

Contact Gary Reed at the Ogden School District, 801.737.7311 / reedg@ogdensd.org, with your needs and your proposal.

Original Auditorium Seat Description

Cedar City started implementing a 5-year downtown revitalization strategy in 1996.  Fourteen years later, stakeholders revisited and updated that plan with the help of the consulting team Hyett-Palma who did the original study through the National League of Cities “America Downtown” program.

Doyle Hyett and Dolores Palma returned to Cedar City the first week of November 2010 to hold a new round of scoping meetings.  The kickoff for the general public on Monday, November 1^st brought out a crowd of about 120 people despite competing with other community events, the final game of the World Series and Monday Night Football.  Utah Heritage Foundation was represented at the meetings by Central and Southern Utah Field Representative Susan Crook, who sits on the board of the Cedar City Downtown Retail Alliance to advise on historic preservation.

After being closed for nearly 20 years, Utah Heritage Foundation and the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency (RDA) partnered over one weekend to open the Utah Theatre to the public and show what they've been missing - a glorious Beaux Arts masterpiece hidden on Main Street.  The RDA purchased the theater about six months ago for $5.6 million and is considering the future of the site so opening the theater to the public is part of the process in analyzing options.  But certainly there is a strong sentiment to keep the historic structure, built in 1919 as part of the emerging cultural core on Main Street and find a reuse for the building if the right development team can be found.  The RDA hopes that a Request for Proposals can be out in the middle of 2011 and possibly some temporary uses can be put into the building in early 2011 while long-term uses are being discussed.

The following slide show includes photos from the tour on October 22-23-2010.

Chuck James of Rocky Mountain Painting describes the decorative painting and application process as original painter Alfred Lippell did it.

Panguitch folks have a new thing to be excited about.  Mark and Heather Childs from Las Vegas have bought the old Gem Theater. 

  

Through the Partners in the Field initiative for Central and Southern Utah, UHF staff is providing on-site technical assistance for historic research, rehabilitation, and business planning for the Gem Theatre.

  

We locals have a rare chance to bask in their enthusiasm.  Anytime one can find the real thing, real enthusiasm, it is like finding a gold mine.  It is someplace to visit and visit and take away riches, this time for the spirit.  This ambitious young couple and their two boys (in photo at left) plan to open an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. 

Ogden School City District is restoring and adding needed new space at historic Ogden High School in what will ultimately be a $70 million investment.  As is appropriate, the district will support upgrades that specifically impact the school's functionality.  However, part of the historic preservation piece is left to be raised by private funds, another $9 - $11 million.  OHS alumni and historic preservationists across the country are joining together to raise funds to specifically preserve the glorious auditorium and the magnificent exterior windows.

Last week, UHF staff took a behind-the-scenes tour of incredible rehab in progress.  Here are the photos for you to see the work up close.

Shakespeare was wrong.  The building’s the thing, and not the play – at least at the Casino Star Theatre.  Another act in the historic theatre’s preservation drama played out on Friday, May 7, 2010 when a motorist crashed into the adjacent His ‘n’ Hers store and careened into the scaffolding recently installed for the theatre’s façade restoration.

“About half the scaffolding was genuinely trashed, and what I thought looked pretty okay turned out to have been knocked so far off base, that the entire structure had to be taken down,” reported Diana Major Spencer, Executive Director of the Casino Star Theatre Foundation.  “The damage to the building is minimal, but has to be fixed before tomorrow's expected rainstorms materialize.”

Despite this latest incident, Major Spencer vows that the restoration of the Gunnison, Utah landmark will continue.  “We're so numb to setbacks by now that we just forge ahead.  This historic theatre NEEDS to be saved/ restored/ reinvigorated!”

Look for plenty of action at the historic Casino Star Theatre in Gunnison this spring.  With outstanding audiences for previous concerts this season, the Casino Star is preparing for its second not-quite-annual (because of the gasoline leak) World-Class Local Talent event on March 11.  Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. at 78 South Main, Gunnison, and the concert is billed as a benefit fundraiser.

Performers who currently live in South Sanpete or whose roots are here, and who have garnered acclaim or awards from outside the area, will offer their talents to benefit the restoration and ongoing programming at the Theatre.  Among these performers are Cantus, Gunnison High School’s perennially award-winning girls’ chorus; Tim Christenson, noted local classical guitarist; and Mary Kaye, outstanding singer/song-writer from Manti.  Watch for future updates.

Tickets for the fundraiser will be available at Rasmussen’s Ace Hardware in Gunnison, the Sanpete Messenger Office in Manti, and Kopy Kat Printers in Ephraim.  Suggested donations are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.  All proceeds are dedicated to restoration of the façade and future programming.